You could have friends here you know
by NomadDreamer
Summary: A one-shot set between 13x13 and 13x14 where Arizona and Eliza run into one another in Joe's and go from colleagues to friends, and maybe something more... Inspired by the devastating lack of screen time for my new favourite couple. Readers and Reviewers appreciated.


Arizona sat down at the bar, dropping her keys loudly, which caught the attention of Joe.

"Arizona, it's good to see you! How are you keeping?"

"Hey Joe, how have you been?"

"Good, good."

"And Walter and the girls?"

"Walter is great, stressed with work but otherwise good. And the girls are fantastic. They're just getting grown up so fast! How's Sofia getting on in the Big Apple?"

"She likes it there a lot. She misses me, and Zola, but she seems to be settling in well."

"Good. And I'm sure she'll be here with you before you know it!"

"Thanks Joe."

"Now, what are you drinking?"

"Whiskey coke please."

"Rough day?"

"A long one", she replied with a sigh.

"Well your order is coming right up", Joe smiled, reaching for a glass.

Handing the blonde her order the bartender stayed to chat for a brief while before handing control over to the manager and heading home for the evening. Arizona sipped on her second drink, idly wondering if anybody from work was around. As she searched the bar for a familiar face, her eyes landed on a brunette coming in the door. _Minnick_. She turned her head so that she was facing the bar again, but kept an eye on the orthopaedic surgeon on the mirror behind the bar.

She felt her stomach flip flop as she walked and sat at the bar, two stools away. Only then did Eliza notice Arizona.

"Oh, Dr. Robbins, I never saw you there!"

"Good evening Dr. Minnick."

Arizona cringed at how unnatural she sounded but the brunette simply smiled. Neither made to move stools to sit closer to the other, they simply remained looking at each other, one smiling, the other unsure of how she should feel, until Eliza's phone started buzzing. Glancing down, she cursed.

"Shit, I'm sorry, I have to take this."

She stood and walked towards the door, and Arizona only caught the first couple of words, words that were clearly foreign.

When Eliza returned, Arizona was draining the last of her drink.

"Could I get a gin and tonic, and one of whatever she's drinking?" Eliza asked the bartender.

"Sure thing sweetheart."

"What are you doing?" Arizona asked.

"I'm buying you a drink, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"I don't- I was about to leave."

"Were you?" Eliza asked. "Or was that just when you saw me?"

Arizona shrugged coolly.

"You certainly didn't make me want to change my mind."

"Why? Worried you wouldn't be able to control yourself after a couple of drinks?" Eliza asked, raising her eyebrow and giving the blonde a slight smirk.

"Ugh you are so goddamn full of yourself!" Arizona huffed before she realised the other doctor was laughing.

"And you are so easily wound up. Look let me buy you a drink, you don't have to talk to me, just let me buy it for you as a way of saying thank you for the other day. Losing that little boy- I couldn't have gotten through it without you. So just let me buy you a drink and then you can go back to hating me, or ignoring me, or whatever, just like the rest of the attendings."

Arizona was about to come up with a retort, but stopped when she noticed the vulnerability in the other woman's eyes during that last statement. At a loss for words she simply nodded.

"They don't hate you", she said a few moments later.

"Ha! Next lie."

Arizona accepted the drink from the bartender and taking a deep breath moved and sat on the stool beside Eliza.

"Careful Dr. Robbins, your friends might see you fraternising with the enemy and ostracise you too."

"They're not bad people", Arizona began. "They're just loyal to a fault. As a group we've all been through so much together, there's this defensiveness and protectiveness... They don't hate you as person, they're just defending Dr. Webber. He was chief when I started at that hospital, and to many of us he's still the chief. And we all respect him hugely."

"I get that, I do. But I'm only doing my job. And I know for a fact- and don't call me out as cocky for saying this, because I've seen my results- that my methods work. The sooner they cooperate the faster I can implement my strategies and leave so they can have Webber back."

"It must get lonely", Arizona mused.

"What? Everyone hating me? Most hospitals aren't this hard to crack."

"Actually, I meant moving around all the time. But yeah, everybody hating you too", she said with a teasing grin.

Eliza laughed, and then grew serious.

"It's tough. It's hard making friends with the hours we keep unless they're also in the hospital, and then moving around it can be difficult to maintain those relationships. But I have my friends from college and school, and an incredibly close family, so that makes it easier."

"Do you get to see them a lot?"

"It depends on where I am, and how far away it is. Sometimes I can go back on weekends, sometimes I need to wait until I have an extended amount of time off... Sometimes..." she trailed off.

"Sometimes what?" Arizona asked, subconsciously leaning closer to the other surgeon.

"Sometimes I think that maybe it's time to just stop the whole nomad thing, and settle down, you know? Own my own house, have more than a short term relationship, talk about kids. I'm not even sure I want them, but it's been a long time since I've been invested enough in a relationship to even bring it up. And God I don't even know why I'm telling you this, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I like this side of you. The human one", Arizona joked.

Eliza laughed and took a sip of her drink.

'I have a daughter", Arizona continued. "Her name is Sofia and she lives with her mama in New York. She moved there a few months ago and it kills me to have her all the way across the country, especially when I'm down and think about the fact I could have had her here. I'm already counting down the days until my next visit, and living for when she comes for the Summer and I have her for the year."

"That must be really tough," Eliza sympathised.

"It is", Arizona said with a sad smile. "But it was the only solution that made everybody happy. And that's what a child needs. It's funny, you said you didn't even know if you wanted kids, I knew for a fact that I didn't. My ex and I even broke up because of it. But then the shooting at the hospital put things into perspective. Of course her winding up pregnant during another break up sort of forced my hand", she added wryly, "but Sofia is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Eliza's brow quirked when she mentioned Callie getting pregnant and Arizona smiled to herself at her confusion.

"How old is Sofia? If you don't mind me asking."

"No, of course not. She's six, almost seven."

"Cute. I have nieces and nephews that age, they're so smart, people don't give kids enough credit."

"True. Where do they live?"

"In California, with the rest of my family."

"Are your family from there then?"

"Nope. Poland. I spoke Polish at home all through my childhood. My parents moved here when I was two."

"Wow. That must have been tough. So you're bilingual then?"

"Yep, and I learnt Spanish in school too, but I'm rusty in that, I'll be honest", she joked.

"I did French. But I picked up a bit of Spanish from Callie over the years."

"French, huh?" Eliza flirted.

"Mhm."

Arizona couldn't help but flick her eyes towards the brunette's mouth, which curled into a knowing smirk. She quickly took another gulp of her drink.

The pair remained in silence briefly until Eliza laughed.

"What's funny?"

"This is probably the longest non work related conversation I've had since I got to Seattle, how sad is that?"

"Well then maybe we should have them more often", Arizona said softly.

Eliza looked at her in surprise.

"Did I just pity you into being my friend?"

Arizona laughed.

"No. Believe it or not Dr. Minnick, when you're not telling me what to do I enjoy your company. You're fun to be around."

Eliza blushed.

"It's just a shame the other attendings don't get to see this side of you."

"That's not my fault," Eliza defended.

"I know. But they'll come around. And until then, at least you have me."

Eliza's face broke into a grin.

"What about the others?"

"What about them?"

"I don't want to cause a divide. I've noticed the way Dr. Kepner has been treated since she took Grey's job."

"And I feel horrible because she's my friend and I did nothing to defend her. I'm not good at being mean, although that might be difficult to imagine with the way I've acted lately," the blonde said sadly.

"Arizona stop, I get it. You were defending a friend. I'd do the same thing. Maybe", she smiled. "Anyway, I have an early day tomorrow so I think I might head home. Do you need a ride?" She asked, seeing the empty glasses.

"Shoot, I guess I do. Are you sure you don't mind? I can call a cab."

"Not at all. I've only had one drink, I'm fine."

"Okay, thanks Dr. Minnick- I mean Eliza."

* * *

The atmosphere was slightly awkward as they sat into the car, but then Eliza turned on the radio and started humming along which made Arizona smile.

"So where am I driving?"

"I'll direct you. Go right here and then right at the next roundabout. Is this totally out of your way?"

"No, my apartment is this way."

"Are you sure?"

She glanced at the blonde and gave her a smile.

"Do you think I'd say anything even if it wasn't?"

The way she was looking at Arizona made the blonde blush.

"Left up here. Ooh, by the way, that restaurant on the left? It's delicious! The steak there is amazin- you're not a vegetarian are you?"

"God no. I couldn't cope. I need some meat in my life", she joked, causing the blonde beside her to snort.

"Well you should totally check that place out. I go there after work all the time when I'm too lazy to cook. And they do this dessert tray- mmh I'm getting hungry just thinking about it."

"Well then I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation", Eliza smiled.

"Any time. I can text you a few good places to go if you like."

"That would be great, you can put your number in my phone once I pull over."

"Turn left", Arizona ordered. "So, do you have any roommates?"

"No, which might be a bad idea in hindsight in terms of meeting people, but I feel like it's a bit college-y or intern-y moving in with strangers. And I kind of like having downtime to myself after a long day. Do you?"

"Yeah, Andrew- you know Dr. DeLuca?"

"You live with an intern?"

"Yeah, I needed a roommate and he needed a place to stay. He's a good guy, not that I see much of him considering he spends even more time at the hospital than I do. It's just up that street on the right by the way. The one beside the house with the red walls."

"Nice house."

"Thank you", Arizona replied, somewhat nervously. She wasn't sure what the protocol was when saying goodnight to an attractive co-worker who you had a crush on but were also becoming friends with.

"So give me your phone and I'll put in my number, and you can put yours in mine."

"Oh yeah, here you go", Arizona said, unlocking her phone.

"Is this Sofia? She's adorable."

"Thanks", Arizona said proudly. "Can't take te credit for that one I'm afraid", she added with a laugh.

"Here you go."

"And here's yours."

"Thanks for the drink", Arizona said shyly.

"Thanks for the company. It was really nice having somebody to talk to."

"That's what friends are for right?"

"Right. Goodnight Arizona. I guess I'll see you at work?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight Eliza. Sleep well."

She gave Eliza one last glance before opening the car door and getting out. She waved as the brunette pulled away, which was returned with a smile.

Sighing, Arizona dug out her keys and opened her front door. Like it or not, she was into the orthopaedic surgeon. Very into her. Even thinking of the way Eliza had smiled at her made her grin idiotically to herself.

Eliza was also smiling to herself as she drove home, back past Joe's and the hospital. Her evening had turned out far better than she had anticipated. She had only one regret... _I wish I'd kissed her._

* * *

 _This was my first attempt at Ariliza, and it's not particularly good by any means, but their lack of screen time is driving me INSANE so I had to do something to get it out of my system! I wondered how they got from the hug in the parking lot to recommending restaurants, so this is my imagining. Hope you enjoyed it, feedback is greatly appreciated._


End file.
